Home

Associated Press
April 5, 2004

ST. PAUL - Coming into the state as President Bush's campaign surrogate, Commerce Secretary Don Evans shrugged off a poll that shows Bush well behind his opponent in Minnesota. He predicted Bush will benefit by what he called a strong and growing economy.

"All I can tell you is there's only one poll that matters, and that's the one on November second," Evans said of Election Day.

The Minnesota Poll conducted by the Star Tribune of Minneapolis last week showed that Sen. John Kerry holds a 50 percent to 38 percent lead over Bush. The poll had a margin of sampling error of plus or minus 4.1 percentage points.

The poll was taken before Friday's announcement that 308,000 jobs were created in March and Evans said those numbers are just one sign of a growing economy.

"As I talk to small and medium, mid-sized and large businesses all across America, they're all telling me that their order books are surging. They're telling me they haven't seen this level of activity in their companies in years. This is particularly true in the manufacturing sector of our economy."

State DFL Party Chairman Mike Erlandson accused Evans of wishful thinking.

"The reality remains there will be no net jobs created during the entire four years that Bush will have been the president," he said. "Secretary Evans and President Bush have no credibility on the economy. It sounds like President Hoover saying `Prosperity is just around the corner.'"

More News:

4-05-04 Job gains raise expectations of rate increase

4-05-04 Are my electronics and computers deductible?

4-05-04 AT&T plans return to wireless business

4-05-04 Bank of America to Cut 12,500 Jobs

4-05-04 Economy, earnings hopes nudge European stocks up

4-05-04 Fed OKs Manulife-Hancock Merger Proposal

4-05-04 HUD Takes Mortgage Simplification Plan Back to Drawing Board

4-05-04 Services Index Hits Record High in March

4-05-04 Spike in Past-Due Credit Card Accounts Reflective of Nation's Debt

4-05-04 Stocks End at Month-Long Highs

4-05-04 Struggling workers hoping to bail when economy improves

4-05-04 Treasuries Hit by Services, Jobs Data

4-05-04 U.S. mortgage bonds stumble near three-month low

4-05-04 Vast US services hits record speed in March

Financial News